Tag: Explore Cuisine

Great New Side Dish: Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans, Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish, Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish
Lemon Garlic Tahini Sauce, Crispy Rice Topping

Composed of equal parts brown rice fusilli and haricots verts, this tasty side dish is a “twist” on “rice & beans.” It is dressed with lemon garlic tahini, a fabulously creamy sauce with a deep roasted sesame flavor.

The playful topping is a take on the classic dish from Southern Italy where pasta is tossed with toasted seasoned bread crumbs – here, crispy rice cereal is toasted in butter and seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper for a crunchy spicy rice-based accent. It can be made into a vegan dish by simply exchanging olive oil for butter in the crispy rice topping.

For a refreshing addition to your side dish repetoire, serve this as a side to roast chicken or roast beef, or on a lunch or dinner buffet. It has wide appeal as a vegetarian dish with creamy and crunch textures and bold flavors, is gluten-free and mighty nutritious.

Brown Rice Fusilli and Green Beans Side Dish

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Red Lentil Penne, Coconut Red Curry, Turmeric Yogurt #glutenfree

Red Lentil Penne, Coconut Red Curry, Turmeric Yogurt #glutenfree

Red Lentil Penne, Coconut Red Curry
Zucchini and Sweet Peppers, Turmeric Yogurt
Basil Scallion Chile Garnish

Would you believe that this is not a pasta dish? Actually, it is a lentil dish! Courtesy of my good friends at Explore Cuisine, red lentils are masquerading as pasta with a shape reminiscent of a pen or quill, aka penne. This penne is packed with protein and fiber, and is organic and gluten-free too.

Red Lentil Penne, Coconut Red Curry Recipe

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Spaghetti and Meatballs, Reimagined

Zucchini Quinoa Meatballs, Green Lentil Pappardelle, Fresh Tomato Sauce

Zucchini Quinoa Meatballs and Green Lentil Pappardelle
Fresh Organic Tomato Sauce with Basil, Parmesan

Imagine a super-moist, super-tasty meatball that has the added health benefits from green vegetable and quinoa. Imagine a pasta that is packed with protein, high in fiber, lower carb and gluten-free. Imagine skipping jarred sauce and preparing an easy homemade tomato sauce made from organic tomatoes and fresh basil. This is spaghetti & meatballs for 2017.

Zucchini Quinoa Meatballs, Green Lentil Pappardelle Recipe

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Kimchi Lasagne

Kimchi Lasagne

Kimchi Lasagne
Made with Gluten-Free Lasagne Noodles
Creamy Spicy Cabbage Kimchi Sauce with Beef

Funky tangy kimchi makes a flavor bomb of lasagna. Kimchi’s spicy, salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, fermented flavors simmered into a creamy sauce with ground sirloin and gochugaru (Korean red chili powder) replaces the ubiquitous tomato sauce in this fusion-style lasagna.

My friends at Explore Cuisine make an extraordinary noodle for lasagna recipes. It is produced in Italy of green lentil flour (50%), green pea flour, and brown rice flour. These no-boil noodles soak up sauce to two-and-a-half times their size to a perfect al dente texture.

The noodles are full of plant-based pea protein, a lovely olive-green color, organic and gluten-free. They are also higher in fiber and lower in carbs than traditional lasagna noodles.

The lasagna is garnished with shilgochu (Korean chili threads), scallion, and toasted sesame seeds for a striking garnish adding texture and spice. Shilgochu are finely-sliced dried chilis that are reddish-brown in color with smoky red pepper and fruity flavors, and a medium degree of heat.

Exploding with flavor and seasoned with a secret ingredient (you’ll have to see below), this lasagna paired with makkoli (Korean rice wine) is perfect for a rainy (or snowy) winter day.

Kimchi Lasagne Recipe

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Roadkill Spaghetti

Roadkill Spaghetti - Sweet Salty Angry Chicken Wings, Carrot Bones, Spicy Arrabiata Sauce

Roadkill Spaghetti
Sweet Salty Angry Chicken Wings and Carrot Bones
Spicy Arrabiata Sauce

Why, oh why did the chickens cross the road on that DARK HALLOWEEN NIGHT? This MACABRE scene is the third and last in a series of three original FRIGHTFULLY fun and flavorful BLACK bean spaghetti recipes developed for my friends at Explore Cuisine.

The BLOODY MUTILATED MESS of DEAD chickens, BLACK bean spaghetti, and white carrot BONES in a spicy arrabiata sauce is actually DEVILISHLY DELICIOUS while simultaneously HORRIFIC to behold.

GRISLY ROADKILL Spaghetti will SHOCK your friends and family with its sweet, salty, spicy flavors and GRUESOME presentation.

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